This week, the Holy Church starts the journey towards Christmas. The
church has been sanctified and dedicated. It is time for the advent
-
waiting for the incarnated God.

From this week to Christmas, the lectionary goes over the
significant events leading to the Jesus' birth:

Annunciation to Zacharias

Annunciation to Mary

St. Mary's visit to Elizabeth

Birth of John the Baptist

Annunciation to St. Joseph

Genealogy of Jesus. and finally

The birth of Jesus

As we go through these, we will be amazed
at how God plans things, even
small details, and how they are executed. We learn how different
people reacts differently to similar events. For example, how
Zacharias, Mary and Joseph responded to the message from angel
Gabriel. We will be especially impressed the way Mary handled it and
why God picked her for the highest honor - being the mother of God.
This will be a great journey.

This week's passage deals with annunciation to Zacharias. This
passage is very rich. It teaches us lot of things. For example:

God keeps his promises

God answers prayers

How not to respond when God answers prayers

Don't make God mad

God as a master planner

God does things His own way.
etc. etc.

Malankara World provides numerous bible commentaries, bible
analyses, sermons/homilies, etc. that enables us to study and
meditate these different aspects of this week's lectionary passage.
You can access them all at:

We want you to turn your attention now to an often neglected side of this story,
viz., God as a promise keeper.

God - the Promise Keeper

Bible is full of promises and covenants. There is a promise on virtually every
page of the bible. There are promises about nearly every aspect of life as well
as about what happens after life. Bible has recorded thousands and thousands of
promises God has made. There are promises to Israel, promises to kings and
prophets, promises to the church, and promises to us.

Dr. Evereck Storms counted all the promises recorded in the bible. He has found
8,810 promises. Almost 8000 of those were from God to man. Books like Isaiah,
Jeremiah and Ezekiel have over 1000 promises each. Almost every verse in Psalm
37 contains a promise.

In spite of the sheer number of promises made by God, He always keeps His
promises. He always does what He says. He always fulfills what He promises. This
week's Gospel reading is about one such promise and how God fulfills it. The
scripture is from Luke chapter, verses 5 to 25.

Interestingly, this week's passage begins with what appears to be a promise that
was not kept by God.

Luke 1:5 "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest
named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of
Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth."

When we read this passage, it appears, in the outset, that God has not kept one
of His promises.

God promised in Genesis 49:10 that the scepter would not depart from Judah until
the Messiah comes. This meant that the authority to rule Israel would always be
with Judah until Christ comes. But here, in verse 5, Luke seems to indicate that
Herod was ruling. Herod was not of the tribe of Judah – Herod was not even an
Israelite. Yet, he was referred to as "The King of the Jews."

According to Genesis 49:10, the royal line would rise from the tribe of Judah.
Judah will always have the royal authority until the Messiah comes. This was
what happened originally. But as we know by reading the story of Israelites in
the Old Testament, over time, because of sin and disobedience, the Israelites
lose more and more of the power to rule themselves. Finally, all that was left
of the ruling power in Israel was the authority of the Sanhedrin. The scepter
had not yet fully departed from Judah, but the only thread they had left was the
power and authority of the Sanhedrin.

In the year when Prophet Gabriel visits Zachariah, the Roman Procurator Caponius
took away their (Israelites') last shred of ruling power. Consequently, the Jews
alive at that time felt that God's Word had failed. They thought that one of
God's promises failed.

In 7 AD, one of these teachers wrote, "Woe unto us, for the scepter has departed
from Judah, and the Messiah has not come." (Babylonian Talmud, 4,37). Amazingly,
when this was written in 7 A.D. an young boy of about 12 years old (assuming
Jesus was born in 5 B.C. – Life Application, p. 1636) was marveling some of
these teachers at the Temple in Jerusalem with his
wisdom.

At about the time when they were bemoaning the fact that God's Word had failed
them, and they had been rejected by God, there was God's Word in the flesh
standing right before them, showing them that rather than rejecting them, God
himself had come to deliver them. God's Word had not failed. It had been
perfectly fulfilled!! God keeps His promises.

This week the church begins the preparations for celebrating the advent season.
The series of bible readings in the coming weeks will culminate in the arrival
of the son of God on Christmas Day. It will fulfill the promise made by God
about the arrival of messiah.

This week's Gospel reading tells us how God plans to deliver his promise. The
arrival of John the Baptist was the first step in this elaborate plan. And God
uses Zacharias to execute that phase of the plan. The plan and its execution is
detailed in this week's scripture reading.

God also uses this occasion to answer the prayers of Zacharias.

Luke 1:13 'But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your
prayer is heard."'

If you were following Malankara World, one of our continuing themes had been
about prayers and how God answers our prayers. Zachariah and Elizabeth had been
praying for a child for a long time. They had given up praying thinking that it
is now too late for them to have a child.

How can we know that Zacharias stopped praying?

Angel Gabriel comes and tells Zachariah that his prayer had been heard. (Luke
1:13)

If Zachariah had been still praying for the child, he would have jumped up and
down glorifying God for answering his prayer. That would have been the normal
human reaction. What did Zacharias actually do when he heard from Gabriel? He
asks Gabriel:

Luke 1:18 'And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an
old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."'

This is about the worst response we can give when God answers our prayers.
Zachariah doubts God. He does not believe God can deliver!! He questions God.
Some way to show gratitude!

He is saying, "Well, I hear what you're saying Angel Gabriel, but I don't think
it can happen."

Zachariah then tries to give God a lesson in biology and procreation (in case he
does not know!)! Zacharias, perhaps, did not remember how God delivered the
promise to Abraham and what age Sara was when she conceived.

It is obvious that Zacharias had stopped praying for a child long ago and gave
up on the idea of being a parent. We don't know how long, but it may have been
ten or fifteen years since he had prayed for a child.

He had given up on God. He had thought his prayers for a child were not being
heard, or had been ignored.

The angel tells him that his prayers HAD been heard, and that God was now going
to answer.

If you recall from Malankara World discussions on prayer, God always answers
prayers. There are three ways God answers prayers: yes, no, or wait. In this
case the God's response was, "wait". Now God is ready to answer the prayers of Zacharias couple! Amazing, isn't it?

Why did God wait so long to answer the prayer of Zacharias and Elizabeth?
Perhaps God had something better in store for them than they ever imagined! They
were simply praying for a child. But God didn't want to give them just any
child. He wanted to give them John the Baptist. Who was John the Baptist? Jesus
said about John the Baptist in Luke 7:28. Jesus said that John was the greatest
person to be born of a woman up to that time. Think about that!

The delay in responding to the prayers of Zacharias wasn't because God didn't
hear their prayers. It wasn't because they were sinning. It was because God had
something in store for them beyond anything they could ask or imagine. They
would become the parents of John the Baptist who would prepare the way for Jesus
Christ. They had waited and waited and waited, and God had finally answered, in
His own time, and in His own amazing way!

When we are frustrated thinking that our prayers are not answered, it is good to
think of the prayers of Zacharias and how God answered it.

Persistence in prayer is very important. Sometimes we feel that in spite of our
repeated prayers, it seems like God never heard, or that God was ignoring us, or
that God was telling us "no." Maybe we've stopped praying. Maybe we've stopped
believing. Maybe we've stopped hoping. Listen to Gabriel, "God has heard your
prayer." He will answer, in His time. And even if you have stopped praying, even
if you have stopped believing. 2 Timothy 2:13 says that even when we are
faithless, he remains faithful. God has something better in mind for us than we
can ask or imagine, and He is simply waiting for His timing to make it happen.
It may be tomorrow, it may be next week, it may be 10 years from now. We may
even have to wait until we get to heaven!! We need to trust God and take the
attitude, "Thy will be done."

Persistence in prayer is a pre-requisite for answered prayers.

This passage also gives us another lesson as to how God responds to our prayer.

Although Zachariah has stopped praying for a child and has made God angry by
doubting him when Gabriel announces to Zachariah that his prayers are answered,
God does not give up on him. He did not say, "OK Zachariah, you do not believe.
Forget it!" God is a forgiving God. He goes ahead with his plans to deliver his
promises and answering his prayers.

But doubting God or lack of faith may have severe consequences. Look at what
happened to Zacharias:

Luke 1:19-20 And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands
in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad
tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these
things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled
in their own time."

Zacharias wanted a sign and he sure got one.

Doubting God is always a "dumb" thing to do. Zacharias doubted and God makes him
dumb. He became unable to speak. But God still delivered. God also delivered to
Abraham in spite of the doubts of Sara. God delivers his promises.

We may be disciplined a bit for our unbelief like Zacharias was here, but God
does what He wants whether we believe Him or not.

Luke 1:24-25 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid
herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when
He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

God delivered. He always keeps his promises. He kept his promises to Israel (a
messiah). He kept his promises to Zacharias. In causing Elizabeth to become
pregnant in her old age, God removed her shame of barrenness.

One of the greatest promises in the Bible which God has given to each of us is
that, like Elizabeth, He will take away our reproach and our greatest shame. It
does not matter what we had done in the past. If we confess our sins, partake in
the Holy Qurbana and take His body and blood, we will be saved.

God's greatest promise is that anyone who believes in Jesus for everlasting
life, receives it (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47). God offers us the free gift of
everlasting life which cannot be lost. We can have this gift simply by believing
in Jesus. This is God’s greatest promise, which He will keep, because God is the
greatest promise keeper.

Adapted and excerpted from 'God: The Ultimate Promise Keeper' by Jeremy Myers

This Week's Features

The Chemistry of Love

By Napoleon Hill

Recognize that love and affection constitute the finest
medicines for both your body and your soul. Love changes the
entire chemistry of the body and conditions it for the
expression of a positive mental attitude. And love also extends
the space you may occupy in the hearts of your fellowmen. And in
this connection it is important to remember that while love is
free, the best way to receive it is to give it.

Keep a daily diary of your good deeds in behalf of others, and
never let the sun set on a single day without recording some act
of human kindness. The benefits of this habit will be cumulative
and eventually it will give you domain over great spaces in the
hearts of your fellowmen. And remember: One good deed each day
will keep old man gloom away.

For every favor or benefit you receive give an equal benefit to
others. The law of increasing returns will operate in your favor
and eventually . . . perhaps very soon . . . it will give you
the capacity to get everything you are entitled to receive. A
positive mental attitude must have a two-way highway on which to
travel, or it will cease to function.

Source: PMA Science of Success Course

How to Stop Difficult People from Zapping Your Energy and Happiness

by Brian Vaszily

What zaps your energy and happiness more powerfully and rapidly than
anything else is your reaction to difficult people.

Notice I didn't say difficult people are responsible for zapping
your energy and happiness. Only you are in control of you. You do
have a choice in how you respond.

With that in mind, here is a simple, powerful and transformative –
that is, intense – experience for you, in two steps.

For the first step, on computer, paper, or at least in your mind,
make a list of the people you would define as difficult who you
routinely correspond with or who impact your life.

This can include those in your professional and personal world, and
those in the public eye, who rub you the wrong way, who make your
skin crawl, or who -- if you didn’t believe in kindness and
compassion or at least in avoiding jail -- you’d flat out enjoy
punching in the nose.

Surely a few people spring right to mind.

Create this list of people you don’t like, and then consider each
person on it in this regard:

What is it about this person that is worth emulating?

Instead of focusing on their disagreeable qualities and actions,
that is, for each person on your list shift your perspective to what
their best qualities are … more particularly, to the one, two or
more aspects of their character that YOU could learn from and
perhaps use more of.

Perseverance? Discipline? A happy-go-lucky attitude?

Everyone has something worth emulating. Everyone. Though certain
people may deserve to be fired, jailed, or impeached, even they have
qualities that are worth appreciating and emulating.

It is our reactionary egos that are prone to completely trash those
who seem to have a negative influence in some way on us. Our egos
are primitive; if somebody strokes them, that somebody is good, and
if somebody kicks them, that somebody is bad.

This lingering reaction creates the notion of “dislike,” or hate,
which blocks our eyes, mind and heart from focusing on anything but
the negative. But by focusing on the negative in anyone – “I really
don’t like that person” -- we are doing by far the most damage to
ourselves.

Honing in on what we don’t like in people (or in situations for that
matter) won’t change them, but it does make our lives considerably
less peaceful and sucks away our energy and happiness. It becomes a
habit that perpetuates the self-damage. Plus it makes us
considerably less attractive to others.

This is not a call to tolerate being taken advantage of or abused by
“people we don’t like,” of course; if changes need to occur to avoid
those circumstances then by all means do what is ethical to make
those changes.

But it IS a call not to let those people – really, your own ego –
pull you down into discord and disharmony where you don’t deserve to
be.

The key, then, is to try to focus on what is worth appreciating and
emulating in the less-than-your-favorite-people people – even if
(especially if) they are your “opponent,” such as in or on court –
versus letting your ego, your emotional reactions, rule.

So the first step is to get your practice by making that list of
people you don’t like and considering each person from that angle.

And then the second step is to extend that practice to daily life.

The next time you encounter someone who seems to be doing the
opposite of their part to make your life fabulous -- in person, on
TV., in your head -- instead of focusing on what makes them such a
lousy human being, focus on what it is about this person that is
worth emulating.

Keep striving to do this until, typically two to three weeks in, it
becomes a habit you don’t even need to think about.

You will be quite surprised at how this shift in your perspective
reduces your overall anxiety, increases your energy and enables you
to achieve more ... and achieve it happily.

Note: Studies Show 3 to 1 is Ideal Ratio for
Happiness

Book: 'With Christ In the School of Prayer' by Andrew Murray

Lesson 12: The Secret of believing Prayer

[Editor's Note: Here is
this week's lesson from the book, 'With Christ in the School of Prayer' by Andrew Murray.
This book is a very important reference book on intercessional prayer, something Orthodox Church believes in greatly.
Murray skillfully describes the role of the Holy Spirit within the church and exhorts Christians to
use the blessings God has given us. This book is a guide to living a life as a temple of the Holy Spirit.
If you have missed the earlier lessons, please read them inMalankara World.]

Lesson 12: "Have faith in God" Or The Secret of believing Prayer

"Jesus, answering, said unto them, Have faith in God. Verily I say unto you,
Whosoever shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what He saith
cometh to pass; he shall have it. Therefore I say unto you, All things
whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall
have them." - Mark 11:22-24

The power to believe a promise depends entirely, but only, on faith in the
promiser.

The promise of answer to prayer which formed our yesterday's lesson is one of
the most wonderful in all Scripture. In how many hearts it has raised the
question: How ever can I attain the faith that knows that it receives all it
asks?

It is this question our Lord would answer today. Ere He gave that wonderful
promise to His disciples, He spoke another word, in which He points out where
the faith in the answer to prayer takes its rise, and ever finds its strength.
Have Faith In God: this word precedes the other, Have faith in the promise of an
answer to prayer. The power to believe a promise depends entirely, but only, on
faith in the promiser. Trust in the person begets trust in his word.

This connection between faith in God and faith in His promise will become clear
to us if we think what faith really is.

It is only where we live and associate with God in personal, loving intercourse,
where God Himself is all to us, where our whole being is continually opened up
and exposed to the mighty influences that are at work where His Holy Presence is
revealed, that the capacity will be developed for believing that He gives
whatsoever we ask.

This connection between faith in God and faith in His promise will become clear
to us if we think what faith really is. It is often compared to the hand or the
mouth, by which we take and appropriate what is offered to us. But it is of
importance that we should understand that faith is also the ear by which I hear
what is promised, the eye by which I see what is offered me. On this the power
to take depends.

The value of the promise depends on the promiser...

I must hear the person who gives me the promise: the very tone of his voice
gives me courage to believe. I must see him: in the light of his eye and
countenance all fear as to my right to take passes away. The value of the
promise depends on the promiser: it is on my knowledge of what the promiser is
that faith in the promise depends.

It is for this reason that Jesus gives that wonderful prayer-promise.
First He says, Have Faith In God. That is, let thine eye be open to the Living God,
and gaze on Him, seeing Him who is Invisible.

So believing God is just looking to God and what He is, allowing Him to reveal
His presence, giving Him time and yielding the whole being to take in the full
impression of what He is as God...

It is through the eye that I yield myself to the influence of what is before me;
I just allow it to enter, to exert its influence, to leave its impression upon
my mind. So believing God is just looking to God and what He is, allowing Him to
reveal His presence, giving Him time and yielding the whole being to take in the
full impression of what He is as God, the soul opened up to receive and rejoice
in the overshadowing of His love.

Yes, faith is the eye to which God shows what He is and does: through faith the
light of His presence and the workings of His mighty power stream into the soul.
As that which I see lives in me, so by faith God lives in me too.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
--Ephesians 6:13

Now I do not think that Satan much cares to destroy us Christians
physically. The soldier dead in battle who died performing some deed
of heroism is not a great loss to the army but may rather be an
object of pride to his country. On the other hand the soldier who
cannot or will not fight but runs away at the sound of the first
enemy gun is a shame to his family and a disgrace to his nation. So
a Christian who dies in the faith represents no irreparable loss to
the forces of righteousness on earth and certainly no victory for
the devil. But when whole regiments of professed believers are too
timid to fight and too smug to be ashamed, surely it must bring an
astringent smile to the face of the enemy; and it should bring a
blush to the cheeks of the whole Church of Christ.

The devil's master strategy for us Christians then is not to kill
us physically (though there may be some special situations where
physical death fits into his plan better), but to destroy our power
to wage spiritual warfare. And how well he has succeeded. The
average Christian these days is a harmless enough thing. God knows.
He is a child wearing with considerable self-consciousness the
harness of the warrior; he is a sick eaglet that can never mount
up with wings; he is a spent pilgrim who has given up the journey
and sits with a waxy smile trying to get what pleasure he can from
sniffing the wilted flowers he has plucked by the way. That
Incredible Christian, 72.

Of the ten basic motives that inspire all human action, love is probably the
most powerful. More has been accomplished by people motivated by love for
mothers, fathers, wives, husbands and children than any of the other motives.

It is very common to see athletes, musicians, and business people purchase
beautiful houses for their parents when they make it big. I recently read about
Gene Simmons, the famous bass player and singer for the band KISS, and his
devotion and love for his mother, a Nazi concentration camp survivor who brought
up her kids as a single mother. Famous, and not so famous, people recognize the
love their parents gave them and the sacrifices they made to get them to where
they are and want to ensure their parents never want for anything again.

Love for their wives has often been cited as the reason for the success of many
men. Napoleon Hill wrote numerous times about the impact that the wives of the
people he researched had on their success. Henry Ford and Thomas Edison had
tremendously supportive wives and this propelled them to tremendous success,
despite the many difficulties each of these men faced. John Wooden, the famous
basketball coach, is well known for his love of his wife Nellie. Anybody
studying John Wooden's success will soon learn the importance of his wife Nellie
to that success. I think of the story that Zig Ziglar tells of his friend Bernie
Lofchick. Bernie became a wealthy, successful, business person because his son
David was born with Cerebral Palsy. Bernie and his wife did everything they
possibly could to make sure their son David had as normal a life as he could.
Part of doing everything possible was earning an above average income to pay for
the extensive therapy his son would need throughout his life.

The motive of love can also help people endure tough situations for long periods
of time. I think about single mothers who often work tirelessly and still manage
to impact their children positively to become contributing citizens of the
world. I think of parents who endure jobs they do not like so that their kids
will have the best life they can possibly give them. I think of people who
experience physical disabilities and challenges in their lives and their spouses
make adjustments to their lifestyle and dreams to lovingly care for them.

Think of the person you love the most in this world and who you would do the
most for. If you were to find out that person would die in one year and suffer
in the process, unless you earned say, $20,000 more in the next 12 months than
you did in the previous 12 months, would you earn the additional $20,000? Would
you sleep less? Would you watch television less? Would you waste less time? I
believe that, if your love is strong enough, anyone could do it.

Think of the people in your life that you love the most. Think of the needs they
have. Think about how you could help them with those needs, big and small.
Bringing happiness, joy, and comfort to loved ones can motivate you more than
anything else in life to do what you need to do.

[Editor's Note: Tom is a Senior Research Director for George Media, publisher of The Canadian
Business Journal. You can find out more about Tom atwww.tom2tall.com ]

Remember the Love

by Veronica Hay

These last few days have been for me, a dark night of the soul. Every belief I
held, every truth I thought I knew and every answer I had, have all been
shattered.

And even though I was surrounded by people, I felt alone, abandoned and afraid.

And yet, through all of it, I also felt higher, as though someone or something
were carrying me, lifting me, loving me.

And so this time instead of running from the pain, despair and confusion, I
embraced it and what happened surprised me. The pain, despair and confusion
became my doorway to freedom. All sorts of insights and inspirations flooded
into my consciousness. It was as though I had access to a different time and
place and was able to see with new eyes.

I have been searching for the truth all of my life in so many places. I thought
there was only one truth and that I came here to find that truth and that if I
went to enough seminars and took enough courses and read enough books and did
enough affirmations that somehow I would find it.

Enough, enough, enough already! It was never enough. I was never enough. And now
I have found myself in this place and I realized that...

No one can tell you what your truth is or how to get there. They can only soften
the path a little. But if you are awake and alive, there will come a time when
you will have to examine your own heart.

During this time, I thought often of Mother Teresa and what a powerful woman she
was, yet without the arrogance that one often finds in powerful people. She was
able to command large amounts of money from everywhere and yet she was so
humble. She didn't need to be the best at anything, she just needed to BE.
Simple and profound. She touched countless lives and changed the world one
person at a time.

I have an act of kindness section on one of my websites and for the last 7 years
have been putting acts of kindness suggestions on one of my daily pages. This
morning as I was thinking of Mother Teresa again, I sat down to my computer and
these words flowed from my fingertips and onto the screen.

Whatever you do today, remember ONE thing.

That in the end, all that really matters is the Love!
Did you seek it?
Did you find it?
But most importantly - DID YOU GIVE IT?

Remember the LOVE!

And then I knew that was the truth I was looking for. Remember the LOVE. Often
in our quest for bigger and better things, we forget why we came here in the
first place. When my father died and I was sitting on his doorstep outside
waiting for the limo to arrive to take me to his funeral, this was never more
apparent. There stood his beautiful house and car in silence. He would never
walk up those stairs and open that door again or sit behind that wheel. But I
could feel his presence. He was much bigger than all of those things. His love
was there forever. It didn't die with him. The only thing we take with us when
we leave this place is the love and it doesn't matter if we die with a slim body
and a fat bank account. All that matters is the love.

In remembering this, I came to know my truth. Perhaps we don't come here to
learn, perhaps we come here to teach. And the secret to success is in the love.
Then I recalled a story I heard about a woman who hated her job and was living a
joyless life of struggle. Her heart was closed in pain, anger and resentment.
She was working as a cleaning lady. One day the old woman she worked for put on
some music on the stereo. It was music that she and her late husband used to
dance to. She was missing her mate terribly and longing for the gentle touch of
another soul. The old woman asked the cleaning lady if she would dance with her.
The cleaning lady was a bit taken aback at first but agreed to do so. And then
something miraculous happened.

In opening her arms to the old woman, she also opened her heart and the tears
and the love began to flow. She let the love in and in that precious moment that
love lifted her spirit and transformed her life. Right after this incident the
cleaning lady's business started to take off, she got so many calls she had to
hire a huge staff to accommodate everyone and her company grew by leaps and
bounds. The struggle disappeared and everything that she had been trying to make
happen came to her effortlessly, once her heart had been opened.

In remembering this story, I knew that I had found my truth. The secret to
success and the secret to life is in the love. Once I knew that, I knew
everything.

[Editor's Note: Veronica Hay is an inspirational writer. She provides
inspirational support and resources to help you live a richer life. Visit her
website at: http://www.insightsandinspirations.com or email her at: veronicahay@telus.net]

Health Tip: Smell of Jasmine 'as Calming as Valium'

The sweet smell of jasmine is as good as valium at calming the nerves with none
of the side effects, according to new research.

They tested hundreds of fragrances to determine their effect on GABA receptors
in humans and mice and found jasmine increased the GABA effect by more than five
times and acted as strongly as sedatives, sleeping pills and relaxants which can
cause depression, dizziness, hypotension, muscle weakness and impaired
coordination.

Laboratory tests found the fragrance and its chemical substitute dramatically
calmed mice when their cage was filled with it, causing them to cease all
activity and sit quietly in a corner.

When the air was breathed in the scent molecules went from the lungs into the
blood and were then transmitted to the brain.

Brain scans showed the effect on a chemical called GABA on nerve cells was
enhanced by the fragrances and helped soothe, relieve anxiety and promote rest.

Professor Hanns Hatt said the results published online in the Journal of
Biological Chemistry can "be seen as evidence of a scientific basis for
aromatherapy".

His team also hope that by changing the chemical structure of the scent
molecules, they can achieve even stronger effects.

Prof Hatt, of the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, said: "We have discovered
a new class of GABA receptor modulator which can be administered parentally and
through the respiratory air.

"Applications in sedation, anxiety, excitement and aggression relieving
treatment and sleep induction therapy are all imaginable."

Jasmine is a type of essential oil widely used in aromatherapy, which was
pioneered by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. It is thought to offer various
healing effects.

Inhaling jasmine oil molecules is said to transmit messages to a brain region
involved in controlling emotions.

Known as the limbic system, this brain region also influences the nervous
system.

Jasmine oil is often touted as a natural remedy for stress, anxiety, depression,
fatigue, menstrual cramps and menopausal symptoms. It is also said to act as an
aphrodisiac.

The name Jasmine is derived from the Persian yasmin which means "a gift from
God" so named because of the intense fragrance of the blooms.

There are over 300 species of the plant that occur mainly in the tropical and
warm temperate regions of the world, although a few are found in countries with
cold winters. The scent rising off the petals is sweet and intoxicating.

Jasmine is found in more than 83% of all women's scents and 33% of men's.

More than five million flowers must be gathered to produce one kilo of what is
known as "pure jasmine absolute". As a result, much of the jasmine used in
perfume is a chemical approximation.

[Editor's Note: In a few weeks,
it will be Thanksgiving. In order to help you with your holiday
preparations, we will be featuring tips for preparing holiday
meals. If you want to share your tips, suggestions, recipes,
etc., please send them to the Editor of Malankara World at
mail@malankaraworld.com
]

Turkey and all the trimmings
are the traditional choices for both Thanksgiving and
Christmas in the majority of American homes.

Whether you try a new recipe
or use a traditional turkey recipe, the questions frequently
asked are:

“How should I roast the
turkey? ”

“Should the turkey be
covered with foil? ”

“What is the correct
temperature to roast a turkey? ”

“Should I use a cooking
bag? ”

The National Turkey
Federation recommends turkey be roasted by the Open Pan
method in a preheated 325 degree F oven until the internal
temperature, as registered on a meat thermometer, reaches
180 degrees F in the thigh or 170 degrees F in the breast.
Sherrie Rosenblatt, director of public relations for NTF
says, “The open pan dry heat cooking method is the easiest
and most reliable of all cooking methods and results in a
juicy, tender, flavorful golden brown turkey.”

In addition the National
Turkey Federation makes the following recommendations when
cooking turkey:

Do not roast the turkey
in a oven temperature lower than 325 degrees F Poultry
should be roasted at 325 degrees F or higher to avoid
potential food safety problems.

Do not roast the turkey
in a brown paper grocery bag. Present day grocery bags
may be made of recycled materials and are not considered
safe for food preparation.

Do use a meat
thermometer to determine the correct degree of doneness.

There were two evil brothers. They were rich and used their money to keep their
ways from the public eye. They even attended the same church and looked to be
perfect Christians.

Then, their pastor retired and a new one was hired. Not only could he see right
through the brothers' deception, but he also spoke well and true, and the church
started to swell in numbers.

A fundraising campaign was started to build a new assembly.

All of a sudden, one of the brothers died. The remaining brother sought out the
new pastor the day before the funeral and handed him a check for the amount
needed to finish paying for the new building.

"I have only one condition," he said. "At his funeral, you must say my brother
was a saint."

The pastor gave his word and deposited the check.

The next day at the funeral, the pastor did not hold back. "He was an evil man,"
he said. "He cheated on his wife and abused his family." After going on in this
vein for a small time, he concluded with, "But, compared to his brother, he was
a saint."

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